Name: Mom’s Easy Parmesan Baked Chicken Cutlets
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or any kind of chicken you choose); 1/2 cup green can Parmesan (Kraft); 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs; 2 tsp fresh parsley (chopped); 1 stick unsalted butter; 2 TBSP Dijon mustard (you can use less or a little more)

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Parmesan breaded and baked chicken cutlets are an incredibly easy dinner idea for boneless chicken breast. Whether for a simple supper for two or the entire family, one bite of this easy baked chicken cutlet and they'll be sold. A crispy, yet light parmesan cheese coating combines with the zing of Dijon for crispy, crowd-pleasing flavor.

four pieces of chicken parmesan on a plate with blue salt and pepper shakers and stacked dishes.

If you collect easy chicken dinner recipes, add this one to your repertoire. This is my mom's recipe and makes the best breaded chicken cutlets in the oven. I'm not talking about the red sauce topped classic chicken parmesan but something a little lighter and a little different.

I have made this recipe for my family countless times and taken it to many friends over the years when there's a new baby, a passing of a loved one, or for someone who could use a good meal.

Top arugula salad with some of this sliced, crispy breaded chicken or serve with light butter and cream sauce pasta for a complete meal. Be sure and add it to your "boneless chicken breast dinner ideas" list.

You'll soon know it by heart.

Everything these chicken cutlets are and aren't

They are:

Crispy and loaded with flavor
Light on ingredients (only 3 in the breading!)
The best recipe to make for family and friends who need a meal especially when paired with a creamy tomato soup.
A great breading for chicken tenders. The kids will love it!

They're NOT:

Time consuming to make or bake (only 45 minutes!)

What you'll need

white bowl with parmesan and breadcrumbs with mustard and butter.

Here's all you'll need for to make this breaded Italian chicken:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Look for ones that aren't too thick.

Italian breadcrumbs or panko. Plain breadcrumbs are best (you can add a little parsley) because panko has a little larger "crumb" but panko can be crispier. Up to you!

Grated parmesan cheese. This is one of the only times you'll see me recommend using the green can Parmesan from the store.

Unsalted butter. Makes the chicken extra moist and acts as a binder for the breadcrumbs.

Dijon mustard. Don't like Dijon? Add the Dijon. Your friends don't like Dijon? Add. The. Dijon. (I served it to one of my most finicky friends — who I adore but you know who you are— and she licked the plate.

Best Ways to Thin or Pound Chicken Breasts

Pounding thick chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer is an easy way to thin them out for this recipe or if you want to learn how to pan cook a chicken breast.
Butterfly the chicken breast and learn how to cut chicken breasts for a variety of recipes.

Step by step for oven baked chicken cutlets

melted butter with Dijon mustard in a white bowl with parmesan and breadcrumbs in a white bowl on a black checkered napkin.

two breaded chicken breasts on a blue pan with a bowl of butter and chicken.

breaded chicken breasts on a blue sheet pan.

In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine equal parts breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle some fresh parsley in for color. You can use dried parsley - you won't break anything, I promise.

In another shallow pie plate, melt the butter and add the Dijon mustard.

One by one, dip both sides of the chicken into the butter/Dijon mixture. Then gently coat it on both sides with the crumbs and lay on a sheet pan.

Repeat with the rest of the chicken. See the recipe for some tips on this step.

Once the pan is filled, place it in a preheated oven and in 45 minutes (assuming your chicken isn't too thick), you'll have a golden-browned, juicy chicken ready to hang out with the seasonal side dish of your choice.

Pro Tip

Don't use a fancy sheet pan with air between the layers or a non-stick pan. I picked up this lovely blue one for five dollars at a discount home store thinking it would be darling in photos and I was shocked at how well it crisped up the chicken!

Recipes that use roasted garlic

Storage, make ahead and tips for success

Storage

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. And this chicken parmesan is even great cold in a chicken salad or on a caprese sandwich.

Make ahead

You can make the chicken cutlets earlier in the day that you plan to serve it. Store in the fridge loosely covered with plastic wrap.

Tips

For a few: Cut the recipe in half or even in quarters. Works great leftover and tastes great chilled with salad the next day.

For a crowd: Double the recipe using 24-36 chicken drumettes. Bake at 350° until golden brown and internal temp reaches 165°.

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📖 Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Mom’s Easy Parmesan Baked Chicken Cutlets

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Parmesan breaded baked chicken cutlets are an incredibly easy dinner idea for boneless chicken breast. Whether for a simple supper for two or the entire family, one bite of this easy baked chicken cutlet and they'll be sold. A crispy, yet light parmesan cheese coating combines with the zing of Dijon for crispy, crowd-pleasing flavor.

Prep Time:10

Cook Time:45

Total Time:55

Servings

Ingredients

▢ 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or any kind of chicken you choose
▢ ½ cup green can Parmesan, Kraft
▢ ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs, you can use fresh, DRIED breadcrumbs or panko. I have made homemade ones but toasted them lightly in a 300 degree oven for about 5 -8 minutes.
▢ 2 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
▢ 1 stick unsalted butter
▢ 2 TBSP Dijon mustard, you can use less or a little more

Instructions

Equipment Needed:

sheet pan
pie plates (2)

Chicken

Rinse and pat dry the chicken.
If the chicken is on the thick side, even it out a bit with a flat side of a meat tenderizer or a heavy skillet. If you make them on the thinner side, adjust cooking time.

Coating - Part One

In a shallow pie plate or something similar with low sides, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the Dijon mustard and swirl with a fork to marry the two. Like some marriages, they might take some time to get comfortable with each other, but eventually they'll cozy up.

Coating - Part Two

In another shallow pie plate, combine the breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese.(Note: I always start with less than you think you need - you can always add equal amounts of each later.) Add parsley.

Breading

Gently dip both sides of a piece of chicken into the butter/Dijon mixture and then lay it in the breadcrumb plate. Coat both sides with the breadcrumbs and turn it over a time or two in the plate. Lay it on to the prepared sheet pan.
Bake at 350℉ for 45 minutes until exterior is golden-browned and a thermometer reaches 165°

Notes

A few notes:

If the chicken breasts are really cold, the butter mixture might thicken up making it hard to coat them. Just pop the plate back in the microwave for a few seconds and you'll be fine. You want the butter fluid, not thick.
Adjust cooking time based on the thickness of your breast or if you have a bone.
For tenders, 30 minutes is safe however, I have cooked them for the whole 45 minutes and they haven't dried out. I told you it's magic Dijon!

Storage. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. And this chicken parmesan is even great cold in a chicken salad or on a caprese sandwich.

Make ahead. You can make the chicken parmesan earlier in the day that you plan to serve it. Store in the fridge loosely covered with plastic wrap.

Course: Chicken, Main Course, Salad, Sandwiches

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Lori Murphy

Did you make this recipe? Tag @josieandnina or tag #josieandnina!

woman in a red shirt cutting pizza smiling.

About Lori Murphy

Lori has over 30 years in the food industry as a marketing strategist, culinary instructor and chef for three kids with discerning palates. As the chief content creator at Josie + Nina, Lori is dedicated to helping home cooks create food memories through fresh ingredients and Italian flavors.

Main Dishes Chicken Parmesan